[Miu's POV]
After leaving Big Brother in the hands of Rias and the others so they could push ahead, Alice and I stayed behind to handle Belle and Vika, but…
I let out a heavy sigh.
"Seriously, why did you stay? I told you to leave this to me. Right, Dill-chan?"
Standing beside me was a purple-haired girl holding a sword in her right hand and a spear in her left. Dill-chan hadn't gone with Rias and the rest; she had stayed behind here instead.
Dill-chan spoke up.
"I will fight alongside Big Sister. I told you, didn't I? I will protect Big Sister."
Huuuh… Looks like she isn't going to listen to a word I say, huh? Dill-chan can be pretty stubborn when she wants to be.
Hearing Dill-chan's declaration, Alice looked at her with half-lidded eyes.
"You're trying to sound cool, but calling her 'Big Sister' kind of ruins the effect. It screams childishness. Besides, hasn't your personality changed way too much? Where did that cold atmosphere you had at first go?"
It was true that Dill-chan's personality had changed, but this was actually her true self. Ever since her older sister passed away, she hadn't been able to rely on anyone—it was an environment where she couldn't afford such a luxury in the first place—and she had constantly suppressed her true feelings.
But finally, she had found a place where she could open her heart. Having her stand by my side like this made me truly happy.
In fact… as far as I'm concerned, I welcome her clinging to me with open arms! If this weren't a battlefield, I'd be hugging her and fluffing her head right now! I just want to spoil her so badly! I want to pat her head! Little sisters are the absolute cutest!
"Little sisters are the best! Long live Dill-chan!"
"Miu-chan, let's keep that in your head. Please don't scream your sister complex out loud."
"I want to cling to Big Brother! I want him to pat my head!"
"If the sister complex wasn't enough, now it's a brother complex?!"
"Dill-chaaaaan! Big Brotheeeeerrr!"
"I'm sorry! I can't keep up with this many retorts! Please, I beg you, stop setting up comedy routines! Come back from the land of sibling complexes!"
"Big Sister!"
"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?! If you don't cut it out, I'm going to get mad?!"
Yeah, it seems handing over the straight-man role in this situation to Alice is completely fine. Following up on me, her retorts toward Dill-chan were executed flawlessly as well.
Why was I thinking about all this? There was a proper reason for it.
Big Brother had warned us beforehand. He said our opponents were formidable enemies. At first, I thought he was simply talking about their raw combat power. But I was wrong… for us siblings, they were formidable enemies in a completely different sense—
"…Well, aren't you two putting on a show? As expected of the Hero-kun's little sister. Your love for her is the real deal. If that's how you want to play it, fine. I'll show you mine too! This is my love for Belle!"
Saying so, Vika spread her arms wide—and squeezed Belle into a tight hug!
"Ufu, ufufufufufu! As I thought, Belle's cheeks are so squishy and wonderful! Yaay!"
"YOU TOO—?!"
Alice's scream echoed through the area, but Vika didn't care in the slightest!
She rubbed her cheek against Belle's at high speed! She held Belle with her right hand while holding her smartphone with her left, snapping continuous selfies! She even buried Belle's face into her chest, sank her nose into Belle's white hair, and took a deep whiff of her scent…
It was just as Big Brother said. This person… these people are formidable enemies! Their expression of affection as an older sister—or older brother—who loves their younger sister shared a common bond with ours!
Normally, I ought to be the one making the retorts. However! In this situation, it was impossible for me to take the straight-man role! My heart was screaming against it!
Vika smiled slyly while holding Belle tight.
"How's that? This is my Way of the Sister Complex! Belle is the cutest in the world! She's the ultimate loli!"
"…Vika… I can't breathe…"
Even though she was being held tightly by Vika, Belle's eyes looked as sleepy as ever…
However, I couldn't afford to lose here either. As an older sister myself!
Countering Vika, I pulled Dill-chan into a tight embrace—.
"Don't kid with me! Dill-chan is just as cute! Even though she's usually so cool, her little sister level when she's acting spoiled is super high!"
She becomes so sweet that her unsociable persona completely shatters! And when she finds out dinner is fried chicken, she gives the absolute cutest smile!
"Big Sister, I can't breathe… but… more…"
Though she seemed a bit suffocated, Dill-chan blushed and buried her face in my chest. Even while holding back a little, the way she wrapped her arms around my back was…!
"Ghah…! So cute… You're so cute, Dill-chan!"
I coughed up blood. But right after this, the words Dill-chan spoke would pierce straight through me.
Blushing deeply, Dill-chan looked up into my face—.
"Big Sister… I love you."
"..."
What should I do? Tears are coming out. Dill-chan is so cute it hurts…
"Gnuuuh…! I won't lose either! Belle! Say it! Say 'I love you, Vika'! Say it! If you do, I can live for another five years!"
"…Vika… I love… you…?"
"Why is it a question?! But still… Ghah!"
Vika cried tears of emotion.
I get it. I understand that feeling completely. Vika and I nodded to each other and spoke in unison.
""This feeling… is unmistakably love!""
"YOU'RE JUST A PAIR OF SISTER-COMPLEX FREAKS—!"
Alice-san, thank you for your hard work with the retorts.
▽
"Ugh, uuugh… I hate this, I want to go home. Why are there so many sister-complexes among both allies and enemies in this world…? At this rate, we might as well hold a World's Greatest Sister Complex Tournament or something."
"My, isn't that a great idea? The Princess's idea is adopted♪"
"Don't adopt it!"
Even after my sister-complex showdown with Vika ended, Alice's retorts continued. The World's Greatest Sister Complex Tournament… I kind of want to participate. Though in that case, I'd be torn between entering as a younger sister or an older sister.
Alice took a deep breath and asked Vika.
"Good grief. You came here to settle things with me, didn't you? Why did it turn into a sister-complex battle?"
"I genuinely wanted to fight you, too, you know? But when someone flaunts their sisterly LOVE right in front of me, my blood starts boiling. Well, let's leave the sister-complex contest at that. From here on, let's truly cross blades."
With an enchanting smile, Vika twirled her spear.
Alice and I had already undergone our Divine Maiden transformations, unleashing the power of the pseudo-divinities dwelling within us. Last time when we fought in Agreas, our transformed state granted us enough power to completely overwhelm them as Assem's subordinates. If we fought now, it would likely yield the same result—assuming things stayed as they were.
Just as power lay dormant within us, Vika and Belle still held trump cards of their own.
Vika spoke up.
"I'll be going all out this time, too."
In an instant—BOOM! The air vibrated violently! Before we could register what was happening, the ground around Vika caved in, forming a crater under the pressure of her surging aura! The expanding aura swallowed the surroundings like an oncoming tsunami, threatening to engulf us…!
"What are you planning to do…?!"
Even Alice, who had clashed with Vika numerous times, broke into a cold sweat, visibly shaken by the shockwave of this power.
While we stood frozen before this unknown force, the pitch-black aura spread rapidly across the entire area. The allies fighting the evil dragon, the magical beasts sweeping through our forces—it swallowed everything without distinguishing friend from foe, stretching across a vast range.
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